With this thought, I am glad to inform you that two weeks from now on January 15, 2012, my colleagues from Edelweiss and I will run the Mumbai Marathon and our team is called i Live. By running the Marathon, we’ve taken on this challenge to raise money for the Chehak Trust.

About Mumbai Marathon: The 9th edition of the Mumbai Marathon is expected to see participation of more than 30,000 people, including some of the world’s most elite athletes.

Founded in 1998, the Chehak Trust seeks to empower girls and women, particularly from the Muslim and Dalit communities, to enhance community-based social capital. It has been working closely with these two communities in Jari Mari, Kurla and Dindoshi for over 8 years and in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi for the past one year. Chehak Trust is also supported by Edelgive, an NGO run by the Edelweiss Group to support philanthropic activities.

What makes the race exceptionally special for us are the many others who make the effort of the runners worthwhile by contributing to various social causes that make a difference to innumerable lives.

Mumbai Marathon 2011 helped raise over Rs. 120 million that benefited 132 NGOs. This year we hope that with your help this figure will increase manifold!

If you wish to contribute to the Chehak Trust, please email me at vikaas.sachdeva@edelcap.com or contact Beryl Henriques at 022 40886160.

Thank you for your support and generosity.

I remember the time when, as a child, I stepped on a bicycle for the first time. The thrill, the rush of freedom, the sheer happiness of gliding on the road was priceless. In time, we all may have lost touch with the beloved vehicle of our childhood, but now we have another opportunity to get reacquainted with the bicycle. This simple change in the daily routine can achieve multiple goals – you can skip all the city traffic to reach your destination, while you make yourself fit and healthy. What’s more, you are doing a noteworthy contribution in reducing vehicular and noise pollution, thus keeping our planet safe and green for the future generation.

The BSA Hercules Cyclothon in Mumbai is an excellent starting point for the cycling lifestyle. I will be at Bandra on February 21, 2010 with a resolve to finish the corporate ride of 12 kilometers. I sincerely hope many of us participate in the cyclothon. All you need is a bicycle, stamina and mental strength to ‘just do it’. You can visit the official website to register and know more. Let’s glide on the wheels and rediscover the childhood glee again. See you at Bandra!

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this blog are my personal and in no way express or implied, of that of the company I work with, or have worked with in the past.